Google retail stores will prove it’s a hardware company, too

There are too many Android devices; does Google need a store for its stuff?

Google is set to open some retail stores for displaying and selling its hardware, 9to5 Google reported Friday. An unnamed source states that Google will use its offline presence to highlight and demonstrate its products to potential customers in order to pull the gadgets out of an increasingly large sea of black slabs, many of which also run Android, and give them a spotlight.

Apple has enjoyed enormous success with its retail stores, though not just because holding a product in your hands helps you get a better idea of how it works. The stores also serve to highlight Apple’s products apart from the pack where they might otherwise settle, even fade, in a more egalitarian setting like a Best Buy or AT&T store. In an electronics store, an iPad is a black slab of a tablet among a gaggle of black slab tablets; in an Apple store, an iPad is an iPad.

Microsoft followed Apple's lead by creating a number of branded stores that serve to sell its Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices, including its own Surface tablet. If Google does the same, it could highlight the cohesiveness of its Android and Chrome experience the way Apple does for iOS and OS X and Microsoft does for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 by collecting the devices together in a room.

As 9to5Google points out, Google has maintained Chrome kiosks within certain electronics stores for some time now, which does in part isolate the devices but can’t quite provide the same experience, as it asks customers to ignore the top-down experience provided by the rest of the store. A Google store that shows Nexus phones and tablets, Chromebooks, and possibly, eventually, Google Glass might be the company’s attempt to change the perception that it’s just a software company.

According to 9to5Google, the stores will open before the end of the year.

52 Reader Comments

I'm surprised Google Glass didn't get much of a mention as it is said to be the thing that started this discussion in Google. It's something that is very hard to sell people(read: average consumers) on without them experiencing it, and most stores wouldn't train people on it well enough to show others(see any electronic purchase at Best Buy for an example of this). It would be easier for Google to train their own people on it than to hope that the people wherever Glass is sold(seriously, Best Buy or an optometrist or what?) got some hands on time before they tried to sell it.

Might not be bad they could sublets stuff from other android manufacturers. Perhaps we could kill the godawful cell phone section at best buy. And get rid of a couple of provider stores. Way too many of them anyway

This would be a good way to influence how their products are perceived. Salespeople could be experts in Android rather than generally knowledgeable and proficient in Microsoft, Apple and Google devices. Look forward to seeing a Google-style "Apple Store."

With Google already having 'brick and mortar' distribution through it's partnerships with existing retailers and the possibility of purchasing directly via Google Play Store, why do they need to invest into an aging business model? It's counter productive to such an otherwise forward thinking company.

With Google already having 'brick and mortar' distribution through it's partnerships with existing retailers and the possibility of purchasing directly via Google Play Store, why do they need to invest into an aging business model? It's counter productive to such an otherwise forward thinking company.

Two steps backwards!

Because there are an awful lot of people who will not buy tech products, especially things that are "game changers" like Glass, without being able to touch them first.

With Google already having 'brick and mortar' distribution through it's partnerships with existing retailers and the possibility of purchasing directly via Google Play Store, why do they need to invest into an aging business model? It's counter productive to such an otherwise forward thinking company.

Two steps backwards!

It's a step or two backwards that may very well be mandatory in order to take a few steps forward with wearable computing. That is something people like us(who frequent comment sections on tech blogs) are comfortable with. It isn't something that the average consumer is comfortable with. These stores would be the only real way to get people with properly trained sales people who can actually answer their questions.

With Google already having 'brick and mortar' distribution through it's partnerships with existing retailers and the possibility of purchasing directly via Google Play Store, why do they need to invest into an aging business model? It's counter productive to such an otherwise forward thinking company.

Two steps backwards!

Because there are an awful lot of people who will not buy tech products, especially things that are "game changers" like Glass, without being able to touch them first.

I'm one of them. I hesitate to buy something I can't get at least a bit of hands-on time with, unless it's something I'm already basically familiar with. Dockers are Dockers, I'll buy those online; I didn't buy a Smartphone until I could walk into a store and mess with one.

In the mass consumer market, the Google brand just isn't associated with meat space products and services, still. Sure, they've run ads for the Nexus products, and perhaps tossed up a few kiosks. But I can't imagine a Google B&M outlet drawing a lot of traffic except for people who wander by and think, "a Google store? What the heck is it? An Internet cafe? Maybe I'll check it out ... some day" People will still go to the large and familiar retailers, where they will still find slab after slab after slab.

In the mass consumer market, the Google brand just isn't associated with meat space products and services, still. Sure, they've run ads for the Nexus products, and perhaps tossed up a few kiosks. But I can't imagine a Google B&M outlet drawing a lot of traffic except for people who wander by and think, "a Google store? What the heck is it? An Internet cafe? Maybe I'll check it out ... some day" People will still go to the large and familiar retailers, where they will still find slab after slab after slab.

You do have a point with this, and perhaps it's this impression that Google wishes to change. In which case, we are looking at a considerably longer game here, but one in which the move to retail stores makes sense.

Google can sell all the hardware and services it wants to end users, but the fact will remain that end users are the product Google sells to advertisers.

Sounds like radio and television, except with much more useful products and services. The way I see it, everything needs to be paid for. You can either pay for it outright or you can fund it with advertising. Google has figured out a way to make their ad-space actually worth something with an end result of less advertising and (more importantly), less irrelevant spam advertising needed to make their free services sustainable.

...If the issue is being addressed (which is the point I was actually making), why can't they open a retail store?

I must have intentionally missed that point, probably because I don't believe Google has an issue with their supply chain. Rather, they keep availability low on purpose. If they wanted to improve availability, the simplest tool they could use is raise their profit margins by raising prices -- the Nexus line could easily take a, say, 10% hike, and would still be better than any competition in terms of value for the price.

If they wanted to improve availability, the simplest tool they could use is raise their profit margins by raising prices -- the Nexus line could easily take a, say, 10% hike, and would still be better than any competition in terms of value for the price.

I'll get behind this if they offer service/repairs/exchanges at the shops instead of being a sales-only outlet.

Brick and mortar has to be about service. Otherwise, why shop at a store that only carries one brand? You can't comparison shop that way. You have to trade on having staff who are knowledgeable, and the availability of service.

I think Google will fail with this! Why?* First of all it is no good to have a store if you can't buy the product because of lack of supply. See the latest nexus phones.* Second Google does not talk to its users, nor do the developers behind its Apps that are sold in the Google play store.

As long as Google thinks all customer service can be handled by e-mail and phone and the vast majority of customers (all the users of search, the webmasters that supply the raw material for search, etc.) are to be ignored or at best can talk amongst themselves, Google's attempts will fail.

It would be a surprising change in culture, if Google would pull off a good customer experience. It can be done! As an example of retail in a non tech environment, study "Trader Joe's". While it is a chain, stores have such a local, personal feeling and loyal followership. All Trader Joe's employ a part time, local artist that paints signs and murals. All employees seem to enjoy their job and work there for years. They seem to always have permission to what ever they are doing and greet someone they recognize and help anybody with a question. Shelves are still stocked! My wife just got from her local Trader's Joe's not one, but two flower buques, after she had a baby! She sometimes "complains" that shopping there takes too long, especially with the kids, because soo many employees talk to her and the kids. And off course we love the products. But my experiences with Google are miles away from this.

Never the less I'd see a huge potential if Google would not just look at its hardware products, but at its software products as well. Provide in store sessions on advanced search, how to build a successful website with local/e-commerce/... etc. Sessions on how to use successful various apps and Android and how to communicate issues. Sessions on Wallet and NFC, etc. There is a huge need for training and evangelism.

I'll echo a statement that rang true in another article published last week - Google needs to worry less about retail and more about support. Who will you call when your Google Glass falls off your face and breaks? And will the experience be any good?

With Google already having 'brick and mortar' distribution through it's partnerships with existing retailers and the possibility of purchasing directly via Google Play Store, why do they need to invest into an aging business model? It's counter productive to such an otherwise forward thinking company.

Two steps backwards!

Because there are an awful lot of people who will not buy tech products, especially things that are "game changers" like Glass, without being able to touch them first.

I'm one of them. I hesitate to buy something I can't get at least a bit of hands-on time with, unless it's something I'm already basically familiar with. Dockers are Dockers, I'll buy those online; I didn't buy a Smartphone until I could walk into a store and mess with one.

Exactly. Where I live cell stores don't have actual phones on display they only have non-functioning mock-ups. For some bizarre reason they seem to expect customers will be satisfied with buying a phone based only on their "experience" with these props. It obviously works for some percentage of their customers, but I'm not one of them. It's actually amusing to see the puzzled looks on the sales droids' faces when I ask if I can handle a real phone. The answer is always "no" (with an obvious unspoken "why would you want to?") and I always walk out without buying.

I'll get behind this if they offer service/repairs/exchanges at the shops instead of being a sales-only outlet.

Brick and mortar has to be about service. Otherwise, why shop at a store that only carries one brand? You can't comparison shop that way. You have to trade on having staff who are knowledgeable, and the availability of service.

Exactly. There's so many Google related questions out there ... Think of it as a 7 days a week I/O conference, with classes on utilizing APIs, integrating Android, etc ..

Seems like a dumb idea to me. Why would you add cost to sell items you break even on? Google sells data. That is their profit center. And it doesn't matter what device you use, nor who makes it. It doesn't matter if you use iOS or Android or Windows or OS X. They'd rather you didn't use a Windows phone though, as they have no presence there. Probably the same for Blackberry.

Exactly. Where I live cell stores don't have actual phones on display they only have non-functioning mock-ups. For some bizarre reason they seem to expect customers will be satisfied with buying a phone based only on their "experience" with these props. It obviously works for some percentage of their customers, but I'm not one of them. It's actually amusing to see the puzzled looks on the sales droids' faces when I ask if I can handle a real phone. The answer is always "no" (with an obvious unspoken "why would you want to?") and I always walk out without buying.

Whoa, what? Last I saw, even the crappiest, lowest-end stores (ahem, Wal-Mart) had actual product out on display. Granted, with a 8" steel cable to keep it from walking away (and subsequently making a bit hard to get a real feel for), but the idea of some cardboard prop having any value at all is bizarre, to say the least.

Poorly made electronics break in less then 5 years of use. The "new" nexus phones? Unable to bind to my Google account because Google conveniently forgot to include the 2-step authentication in their instructions.

Real basic stuff here. Support? None. They do not support their products, period. found some work around on the net when other people got fed up.

Really, if Google refuse to support the product they build .... well, State Lemon Laws are great for these kind of things.